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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7149306" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 49</p><p></p><p>“Well now, what do we have here?” Kosk asked. “What are you doing here, gobbo? Where’d you come from? How many of you are here?” The dwarf punctuated each question with a prod from his staff, drawing an increasingly shrill response that was just gibberish to most of them.</p><p></p><p>“Come on, can’t you see that he doesn’t speak our language?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“Goblins are canny,” Kosk said. “I wouldn’t assume anything when it comes to them, except that they’ll stick a knife in your back if you give them the chance.” As he spoke he checked the goblin for weapons. It had carried a small hand-axe that it had dropped when the dwarf had struck it earlier, but it did not appear to have anything else on its person. It wore a rough tunic of poorly-tanned leather over fur leggings that looked to be carrying roughly their weight in dirt. The goblin didn’t resist, it only looked around at each of them in turn with wide eyes.</p><p></p><p>“Do you speak their language?” Bredan asked Xeeta. For a moment it looked like the tiefling wanted to say something, but she finally just shook her head.</p><p></p><p>“I do,” Quellan said as he rejoined the others. “<em>Neeta kraktak?</em>” he asked. “<em>Keevak akrat tak?</em>”</p><p></p><p>“Even their language sounds like rats chittering,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>The goblin responded tentatively. “He says he is alone,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>“Well, we know that’s not true, then,” Kosk said. “Better keep an eye out for its friends.”</p><p></p><p>“Whether or not it’s lying, that’s a good idea,” Glori said. “I’ll keep an eye out in case the noise drew any attention.” She sidled over to the crack in the wall and knelt next to it. From that vantage she could see the side of the estate house, though nothing thus far had stirred in response to the disturbance. There was another entrance there, a set of stone steps that led up to a single wooden door.</p><p></p><p>Quellan spoke to the goblin a bit more in its own tongue, and the creature responded. “He says he doesn’t know anything about a missing human boy. He says he was just looking for something to eat when we found him.”</p><p></p><p>“Don’t bloody lie to me,” Kosk said. He bent over the huddled goblin, which couldn’t mistake the threat even if it could not understand his words. He grabbed the creature by its vest and shook it. “Don’t lie! Where are your friends!”</p><p></p><p>The goblin let out a tinny shriek, then started babbling. Quellan, who had started to step forward to intervene, stopped. He asked a follow-up question, which the goblin responded to with another panicked litany.</p><p></p><p>“He says that the others are in the cellar of the house,” the cleric said. “He says that they’re led by a bugbear named Gakrak. He says that the boy is being kept there, that he’s alive and well.”</p><p></p><p>Kosk’s eyes bored into the goblin’s for another long moment before he released it. The creature collapsed and huddled against the wall, holding up its hands to keep them at bay. “I told you,” the dwarf growled. “They’re a race of bloody liars.”</p><p></p><p>“How do we know he’s telling the truth now?” Bredan asked.</p><p></p><p>“Because we’re going to make it show us,” Kosk said, smacking his staff against his palm for emphasis.</p><p></p><p>Kosk took custody of the goblin when they left the barn. He’d taken a few bits of old tack and fashioned a leash that he’d looped around the creature’s neck, keeping the strands clutched close in his fist. The dwarf had issued enough warnings through Quellan that the goblin looked barely able to stand from fear.</p><p></p><p>Their prisoner led them back around to the front of the house and the open door that waited there. The boards of the porch sagged and creaked as they put weight on them, but held. Bredan checked out the door first, confirming that there wasn’t a small army of goblins waiting to ambush them before pushing it open the rest of the way and stepping inside.</p><p></p><p>The interior of the house was consistent with the overall impression of age and decay they’d gotten from outside. The foyer was cluttered with animal droppings, leaves, and bits of broken wood and shattered glass. A staircase that had once led up to the upper floor now lay in a collapsed wreck. The balcony above it looked like it was waiting for only a strong gust of wind to follow it down. Three arched exits led to other parts of the house. The goblin hesitated only a moment before directing them to the one on the left. Again Bredan cleared the way first, sidling up to the archway and peering through. “I don’t see anything,” he said.</p><p></p><p>Kosk yanked the goblin back so their faces were close together. “Remember what happens to you if you’re lying,” he growled.</p><p></p><p>The creature’s only response was a strangled gasp.</p><p></p><p>The room beyond the arch was spacious and once might have been a comfortable living room. At the moment it was just a cluttered hazard. The wooden furnishings were all in a state of advanced collapse, their upholstery given over to vermin and rodent nests. This was the side of the building that was sagging, and the entire floor slanted at a noticeable angle. The room had a high ceiling that rose to the full height of the building, and while the beams above were holding despite the structural damage the roof had collapsed in a few places, letting in shafts of light.</p><p></p><p>There were three exits. The door leading outside that Glori had spotted earlier was in the far corner. They could see why the goblin hadn’t taken them in that way; the entire door was covered in boards that had been nailed to the frame and the surrounding walls. There was another interior door to their right, and another open archway further into the room. The goblin pointed in that direction, and after another shared look they continued their explorations. There was enough debris in the room to conceal multiple ambushers, but nothing stirred other than a rat that emerged from a ruined sofa and retreated with a skitter of tiny feet.</p><p></p><p>The archway led into another room that might have once been a parlor. It was difficult to be certain, for the ceiling had collapsed, taking part of the far wall with it. They could see outside through the gaps in the rubble, which was partially overgrown with plants that had taken advantage of the decay to penetrate into the structure.</p><p></p><p>“This doesn’t look very safe,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>The goblin pointed at the mound of debris and said something.</p><p></p><p>“He says that the entrance to the cellar is hidden under that mess,” Quellan translated. The cleric asked the creature a question. “He says they keep it hidden, but if you move that clump of roofing there you’ll see it.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan glanced back to make sure that the others were in a position to cover him, then he sheathed his sword and edged cautiously forward. The damaged floorboards sagged under his weight but held. Quellan circled around to the left to help him, careful not to get in the line of fire from Glori or Xeeta. Kosk remained back by the entrance, his grip keeping the leather strap tight around their prisoner’s neck.</p><p></p><p>Bredan grabbed hold of the debris the goblin had indicated, a segment of roofing that still clung tenaciously together despite the collapse. But before he could exert his strength it shifted, seemingly of its own accord. The young warrior quickly stumbled back, alert to the danger of another collapse.</p><p></p><p>But the source of the disturbance became clear a moment later as a squat form erupted out from under the rubble. Bredan turned to face it, but couldn’t react in time to keep whatever it was from latching onto his right ankle. As it bit down with a crushing grip he stumbled back, only to trip on the uneven floor. At least the fall tore his leg free of the creature’s grasp. As it emerged fully from the debris they could see that it was a beetle roughly the size of a wagon wheel, its segmented body culminating in a plated abdomen that reared up behind it as it scuttled forward toward the fallen warrior, intent on securing its meal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7149306, member: 143"] Chapter 49 “Well now, what do we have here?” Kosk asked. “What are you doing here, gobbo? Where’d you come from? How many of you are here?” The dwarf punctuated each question with a prod from his staff, drawing an increasingly shrill response that was just gibberish to most of them. “Come on, can’t you see that he doesn’t speak our language?” Glori asked. “Goblins are canny,” Kosk said. “I wouldn’t assume anything when it comes to them, except that they’ll stick a knife in your back if you give them the chance.” As he spoke he checked the goblin for weapons. It had carried a small hand-axe that it had dropped when the dwarf had struck it earlier, but it did not appear to have anything else on its person. It wore a rough tunic of poorly-tanned leather over fur leggings that looked to be carrying roughly their weight in dirt. The goblin didn’t resist, it only looked around at each of them in turn with wide eyes. “Do you speak their language?” Bredan asked Xeeta. For a moment it looked like the tiefling wanted to say something, but she finally just shook her head. “I do,” Quellan said as he rejoined the others. “[i]Neeta kraktak?[/i]” he asked. “[i]Keevak akrat tak?[/i]” “Even their language sounds like rats chittering,” Kosk said. The goblin responded tentatively. “He says he is alone,” Quellan said. “Well, we know that’s not true, then,” Kosk said. “Better keep an eye out for its friends.” “Whether or not it’s lying, that’s a good idea,” Glori said. “I’ll keep an eye out in case the noise drew any attention.” She sidled over to the crack in the wall and knelt next to it. From that vantage she could see the side of the estate house, though nothing thus far had stirred in response to the disturbance. There was another entrance there, a set of stone steps that led up to a single wooden door. Quellan spoke to the goblin a bit more in its own tongue, and the creature responded. “He says he doesn’t know anything about a missing human boy. He says he was just looking for something to eat when we found him.” “Don’t bloody lie to me,” Kosk said. He bent over the huddled goblin, which couldn’t mistake the threat even if it could not understand his words. He grabbed the creature by its vest and shook it. “Don’t lie! Where are your friends!” The goblin let out a tinny shriek, then started babbling. Quellan, who had started to step forward to intervene, stopped. He asked a follow-up question, which the goblin responded to with another panicked litany. “He says that the others are in the cellar of the house,” the cleric said. “He says that they’re led by a bugbear named Gakrak. He says that the boy is being kept there, that he’s alive and well.” Kosk’s eyes bored into the goblin’s for another long moment before he released it. The creature collapsed and huddled against the wall, holding up its hands to keep them at bay. “I told you,” the dwarf growled. “They’re a race of bloody liars.” “How do we know he’s telling the truth now?” Bredan asked. “Because we’re going to make it show us,” Kosk said, smacking his staff against his palm for emphasis. Kosk took custody of the goblin when they left the barn. He’d taken a few bits of old tack and fashioned a leash that he’d looped around the creature’s neck, keeping the strands clutched close in his fist. The dwarf had issued enough warnings through Quellan that the goblin looked barely able to stand from fear. Their prisoner led them back around to the front of the house and the open door that waited there. The boards of the porch sagged and creaked as they put weight on them, but held. Bredan checked out the door first, confirming that there wasn’t a small army of goblins waiting to ambush them before pushing it open the rest of the way and stepping inside. The interior of the house was consistent with the overall impression of age and decay they’d gotten from outside. The foyer was cluttered with animal droppings, leaves, and bits of broken wood and shattered glass. A staircase that had once led up to the upper floor now lay in a collapsed wreck. The balcony above it looked like it was waiting for only a strong gust of wind to follow it down. Three arched exits led to other parts of the house. The goblin hesitated only a moment before directing them to the one on the left. Again Bredan cleared the way first, sidling up to the archway and peering through. “I don’t see anything,” he said. Kosk yanked the goblin back so their faces were close together. “Remember what happens to you if you’re lying,” he growled. The creature’s only response was a strangled gasp. The room beyond the arch was spacious and once might have been a comfortable living room. At the moment it was just a cluttered hazard. The wooden furnishings were all in a state of advanced collapse, their upholstery given over to vermin and rodent nests. This was the side of the building that was sagging, and the entire floor slanted at a noticeable angle. The room had a high ceiling that rose to the full height of the building, and while the beams above were holding despite the structural damage the roof had collapsed in a few places, letting in shafts of light. There were three exits. The door leading outside that Glori had spotted earlier was in the far corner. They could see why the goblin hadn’t taken them in that way; the entire door was covered in boards that had been nailed to the frame and the surrounding walls. There was another interior door to their right, and another open archway further into the room. The goblin pointed in that direction, and after another shared look they continued their explorations. There was enough debris in the room to conceal multiple ambushers, but nothing stirred other than a rat that emerged from a ruined sofa and retreated with a skitter of tiny feet. The archway led into another room that might have once been a parlor. It was difficult to be certain, for the ceiling had collapsed, taking part of the far wall with it. They could see outside through the gaps in the rubble, which was partially overgrown with plants that had taken advantage of the decay to penetrate into the structure. “This doesn’t look very safe,” Glori said. The goblin pointed at the mound of debris and said something. “He says that the entrance to the cellar is hidden under that mess,” Quellan translated. The cleric asked the creature a question. “He says they keep it hidden, but if you move that clump of roofing there you’ll see it.” Bredan glanced back to make sure that the others were in a position to cover him, then he sheathed his sword and edged cautiously forward. The damaged floorboards sagged under his weight but held. Quellan circled around to the left to help him, careful not to get in the line of fire from Glori or Xeeta. Kosk remained back by the entrance, his grip keeping the leather strap tight around their prisoner’s neck. Bredan grabbed hold of the debris the goblin had indicated, a segment of roofing that still clung tenaciously together despite the collapse. But before he could exert his strength it shifted, seemingly of its own accord. The young warrior quickly stumbled back, alert to the danger of another collapse. But the source of the disturbance became clear a moment later as a squat form erupted out from under the rubble. Bredan turned to face it, but couldn’t react in time to keep whatever it was from latching onto his right ankle. As it bit down with a crushing grip he stumbled back, only to trip on the uneven floor. At least the fall tore his leg free of the creature’s grasp. As it emerged fully from the debris they could see that it was a beetle roughly the size of a wagon wheel, its segmented body culminating in a plated abdomen that reared up behind it as it scuttled forward toward the fallen warrior, intent on securing its meal. [/QUOTE]
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